Hammer killer wins release order

A court has agreed to release a mentally ill man who bludgeoned to death a grandfather with a hammer.

Matthew Robert Steele was detained for life for the 2006 murder of Umberto Crisante, 63.

The victim was beaten to death with a hammer in the garden of his Clearview home in Adelaide and his body found by his wife and four-year-old granddaughter.

Steele was ordered into detention in a mental health facility for a life term.

He applied to the South Australian Supreme Court to vary that order and Justice Tom Gray agreed to release Steele on licence under strict conditions.

The court received psychiatric reports which showed Steele, who suffers from schizophrenia, is in remission from his illness and has been free of any active psychotic symptoms for more than three years.

It's critical that those charged with supervising the defendant during stages one and two ensure there is strict compliance

Justice Tom Gray

Justice Gray agreed only to stages one and two of a six-stage release plan, which allow for supervised day release from the secure mental health facility, James Nash House.

Justice Gray said later stages of the release plan, which involve less supervised return to the community, would potentially pose some risk to public safety.

"It's critical that those charged with supervising the defendant during stages one and two ensure there is strict compliance," he said.

"In those circumstances any risk to the public can be fairly described as remote."

Under the current arrangements Steele will be accompanied by James Nash House staff, who are to maintain line-of-sight contact with him at all times.

Steele would be allowed supervised outings including walks, being driven in a government car, visiting supermarkets and an increasing exposure to various social settings, based on his mental health programs.

Each week's activity plan must be emailed to a South Australian police liaison officer and a member of the victim's family.

The court heard all the psychiatrists consulted agreed it was appropriate for a psychiatric review and further consideration by the court before any authorisation was given for Steele to embark on stages three to six.

The victim's family opposed the application for release, but submitted that if the licence were to be granted it should be on terms geographically limited, to avoid any risk of contact between the defendant and members of the victim's family.